The Biscay Regional Championship', also called the North Regional Championship' in its early editions, was an official football tournament in Spain organised by the NorthFootball Federation. It was played annually between 1913 and 1940 and served to elect the representatives of the region in the Spanish Cup, which at that time served as the overall annual national championship.
History
The tournament was launched in 1913, following the creation of the North Football Federation, initially consisting of clubs from the Basque provinces and Cantabria. The first edition of the Northern Regional Championship started on 12 October 1913, with six teams: three from Biscay and three from Gipuzkoa. Athletic was the first champion. In 1916 the Royal Spanish Football Federation permitted the clubs from the province of Santander to abandon the North Federation and join the new Cantabrian Regional Federation of Football, along with clubs from the province of Oviedo. But the situation was reversed again two years later. After several disagreements between the clubs of Biscay and Guipuzkoa, in 1918 the National Committee of the Spanish federation agreed to divide the Northern Federation in these two regions. Thus, in the 1918–19 season the Gipuzkoa clubs launched their own championship while the North Championship teams continued with other Basque teams and the return of Racing de Santander, representing the Cantabrian clubs. In 1922 the clubs in the province of Santander finally left the North Federation to create its own umbrella organisation, which launched the :es:Campeonato Regional de Cantabria|Cantabrian Regional Championship. That same year, the Assembly of the Northern Federation agreed to the change of name to the Biscay Federation , being composed exclusively of clubs from the province. In 1934 the Spanish federation undertook a major restructuring of the national tournaments, so that the regional championships were replaced by the superregional, which gathered the best clubs in various regional federations. In the case of the Basque Country, this was called the Basque Cup, launched in season 1934–35. This tournament was held for two years until being interrupted by the Spanish Civil War. During the last months of the war in 1939, football resumed activity in some areas controlled by the National side, under the impetus of the Spanish Federation and the regional federations. Five teams participated in the reborn Biscay Championship, including its winners Bilbao Athletic and runner-up Barakaldo Oriamendi, who both took part in the 1939 Copa del Generalisimo. The last edition of the Championship of Biscay, which was also a qualifier for access to the 1940 Copa del Generalísimo, was played in the 1939–40 season. Another restructuring approved by the Spanish Federation in 1940 marked the demise of the regional championships.
Winners
Summary of Champions
Biscay representative team
In the first half of the 20th century, the provincial federation selected a representative team for friendly matches, and also took part in the inter-regional :es:Copa del Príncipe de Asturias de fútbol|Prince of Asturias Cup. Prior to the split between Gipuzkoa and Biscay, their players also formed a combined 'North' team which evolved into the Basque Country team. In 2013, the Biscay Federation celebrated its centenary, taking the foundation date as that of the North Federation. A commemorative match was staged between the amateur teams of Biscay and Gipuzkoa, as had also taken place in 1964 for the 50th anniversary. The Biscay professional selection had reformed for the Castilian Federation's 'golden jubilee' in 1963, playing Andalusia, and in June 2013 they did so again to face Athletic Bilbao, celebrating the 100th anniversary of both the federation's foundation and the opening of San Mamés stadium, as well as being its last match before demolition. It was an event of familiarity for the participants, with many of the Biscay players having close ties to Athletic, and many of the club's current players originating from the province. Despite being unable to include the opposition's employees in their squad, Biscay won the fixture 1–0.
